DAVID draws comparisons between the two clubs with the Spanish side toiling in the third tier after suffering administration - but the similarities end when it comes to the players taking a stand.

SO, the Rangers players thought they were making a stance the other week by telling the board of directors to “get tae” when they were asked to take a 15 per cent pay cut?

Well, when it comes to militant
stands against a regime, Ally McCoist’s men just aren’t in the same league as Racing Santander. Physically and figuratively.

The Spanish outfit are currently in the third tier of football in their country, so they have that much in common with Rangers.

Santander have been in administration recently, so you can tick that box as well.

Their demise followed a disastrous takeover in January 2011 by an Indian “entrepreneur”, who turned out to be a fraudster on the run from Interpol.

Ali Syed was welcomed
with open arms at the time of the takeover, seducing the fans with talk
of investing 90 million euros and building a club capable of challenging Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Does ANY of this sound familiar?

So that’s the backdrop to what the players of Racing Santander are threatening to do tomorrow night.

Can you imagine if Rangers reached the quarter-final of the Scottish Cup (come on now, that’s not TOO big a stretch) and then Lee McCulloch and Co refused point blank to play in the game until the board resigned?

To
be fair, they haven’t been paid since September and this Cup run they’re on has seen them take the scalp of La Liga sides Almeria and Sevilla.

It has been a fairytale progress against a backdrop of financial carnage and this week, when they should be trying to overcome a two-goal deficit from the first leg, the playing squad have decided this is the time to strike. By going on strike.

They’ve issued a statement demanding the removal of club president Angel Lavin and his directors, who they claim have made a series of promises about their pay and reneged on them
all.

Now, with the prospect of a money-spinning semi-final against Barcelona still within their grasp, they are on the brink of withdrawing their labour.

Earlier
in this Cup run, in the 1-1 home draw with Almeria (they went on to win
2-0 away), Racing protested by standing motionless for the first 20 seconds after kick-off.

Almeria showed solidarity with their opposite numbers by refusing to run the ball into the net, although given the eventual outcome they may now be regretting that course of action.

They knocked it about for 10 seconds before putting it out of play. Santander then waited 10 seconds before picking the ball up, throwing it in, and starting the game properly.

Since then,
the Racing players have cranked up the pressure on their board. It will
be interesting to see if they follow through with their threat and if they do, what sanctions the club will face from the Spanish authorities.

Back
here, the Rangers players have never failed to be paid but they are rightly raging at being asked to take a 15 per cent drop in salary when those in executive positions at the club appear not to have made the same sacrifices.

Certainly
Brian Stockbridge, pictured left, the financial director who didn’t appear to be very good at counting and has now gone, didn’t seem willing
to have his pay docked.

Then again, he did have to pay back the £200,000 he pocketed for Rangers winning the Third Division last season, so come on, cut the guy a bit of slack. Okay, maybe not.